Combination dispenser and seal



Nov. 30, 1954 E. s. TUPPER COMBINATION DISPENSER AND SEAL Filed July 28,1953 En/Z s. TUPPEQ IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent COMBINATION DISPENSER AND SEAL Earl S. Tupper,Upton, Mass.

Application July 28, 1953, Serial No. 370,738

9 Claims. (Cl. 222-189) This invention relates generally to a spice andcondiment dispenser having both a removable distributor element and ahinged and swivellable seal therefor to maintain a non-spillablerelationship with the distributor element when the dispenser is not inuse.

The assembly and parts herein utilizes the structure described andclaimed in U. S. Patent No. 2,487,400, granted to the applicant hereinon November 8, 1949, and further utilizes the structure described inapplicants appligastion for Patent Ser. No. 327,958, filed DecemberEssentially, the seal assembly to maintain the vessel contents air andvapor tight comprises a closure member formed of polyethylene or otherplastic having similar physical characteristics and is hingedly andswivellably secured to a neck formed on the condiment receiving vesselsuch as a bottle, or to a neck formed on a wall of other type ofcontainer. The neck is preferably, but exclusively, also made ofpolyethylene or other plastic having similar characteristics to enable alive seal to take place between the closure member and the lip of theneck.

At the base of the neck, the invention contemplates the application of aremovable and snap-type of distributor or strainer element having aperforated upper wall which is adapted to seal-tightly engage adepressed wall portion of the closure member when the closure is closedwhereby the spice or other condiment within the container is preventedfrom spilling during movement or transportation of the device.

Another object of the invention resides in the utilization of a materialin conjunction with specified structure such as polyethylene or otherplastic having similar characteristics comprising a rubber-like thermalplastic composition which does not absorb and is not readily wetted bywater, is odorless, resistant to acids, solvents and other chemicals,will not soften in ordinary temperatures, is unbreakable, hasflexibility and elasticity with a slow rate of recovery, is frictionalto the touch, is light in weight, is unaffected at working temperaturesand affords a sterile medium for and consequently is resistant tomildews, micro-organisms and insects.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of anon-spillable condiment vessel having a closure member hingedlysupported on a swivellable frame member disposed on the neck of thevessel, the said closure member having its lower or depressed wall incontact with a removable strainer or distributor element in the neck ofthe vessel when the said closure member is in sealing position, the saidclosure, frame and strainer members all being capable of being molded bycompression or injection in all their parts, and which are economical tomanufacture, durable, easy to clean, and efficient in operation.

A further feature of the invention resides in the convertibility of acondiment cellar or distributor to a pouring vessel provided with aseal.

These objects and other incidental ends and advantages will hereinafterappear in the progress of the disclosure and as pointed out in theappended claims.

Accompanying this specification is a drawing showing a form of theinvention wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the hinged closure member mountedon a frame swivellably engaged to a spout or neck on the wall of a flatcover member for the "ice showing dispensing or distribution of thecondiment material.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of Figure 1 across the plane 33thereof showing the plane contact between the lower or depressed bottomwall of the closure member and the upper surface of the strainingelement to prevent spilling.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the upper portion of Figure 3 showingthe strainer or distributing element in a lower and displaced positionfrom the spout of the cover of the vessel.

In accordance with a form of the invention shown, numeral 10 indicates avessel, which may be of any type, having a top closure wall 11, and aspout generally indicated by numeral 12. Vessel or container 10 may beused for any purpose but with the provision of a pouring neck or spoutmay readily be converted into condiment holder by the application of aremovable snap-in type of sltraining element insert generally indicatedby numeral The neck or spout 12 forms an opening for the container orvessel, but as shown is formed on Wall 11 forming part of a removablecover member generally indicated by letter A. Cover A is comprised, ashas been mentioned, of a main central wall already designated by numeral11, and has an upwardly extending peripheral rim generally indicated12a, said rim being formed as an inverted groove and having an inner-Wall 13, a spaced outer wall 14, a top connecting wall 15 and a portion16 offset from the base of the outer wall 14, the rim 12a being adaptedto sealably engage the upper edge of the container 10. Cover A ispreferably made of polyethylene or other substance having similarphysical characteristics, but for purposes of the invention herein isnot so limited.

Spout 12 may form the top terminal of a container such as a bottle orother vessel, but as shown forms a neck surrounding an opening 17 inWall 11 of cover A. The spout as shown is provided with an intermediateshoulder 18 extending at the top from an outwardly inclined wall 19 atthe inner side of the base of the spout.

The strainer element 13a is in the form of a cap having a top wall 13bprovided with perforations 13c and a pcripheral side wall 13dterminating in a peripheral outwardly directed flange 13e. Flange 13s isadapted to snap in and out of shoulder 18 as best seen in Figures 3 and4 and makes a snug fit therein by virtue of the inclination of the spoutlower inner wall 19. Shoulder 18 at the horizontal portion acts as anupper stop for flange 13e while inclined wall portion 19 serves as africtional stop against normal downward travel.

The closure for the spout 12 consists of a depressed lower Wall 20having a peripheral and upwardly extend ing inverted grooved rim formedof an inner wall 21, an outer wall 22, a top connecting wall 23, and anoutwardly extending flange 24 continuing from the lower edge of outerwall 22. Flange 24 at opposite diametric points has a finger-operabletab projection 25 and an extension 26 provided with a platform 27respectively. The said platform at its rear edge carries a cylindricalrod 28 which projects beyond each of the side edges thereof and thediameter extends above the platform 27 as best shown in Fig. 3.

It is to be noted that sealing by the closure member described iseffected at the upper portion of the inside of outer wall 22 and theinside of top wall 23 with respect to the upper terminal wall 28a ofspout 12 (outwardly inclined from shoulder 18 as shown). diameter ofspout wall 28a therealong is greater than the inner diameter of Wall 22whereby positive sealing engagement is assured between the closuremember and the spout. When the spout wall 28a is made of poly ethyleneor of a substance having similar physical characteristics as the closuremember, a live seal is effectuated between the respective parts.

In order to provide the closure member with hinge and swivellablecharacteristics relative to spout 12, there The outer along the rearedge-thereofapair ofaligned lugs each indicated by numeral 31, said lugshaving aligned cylindricalopenings eachindicated by numeral 32 and witha diameter sufficient to permit rod 28 to slide therethrough. Each ofthe cylindrical openings, 32 communicates with a top lug notch 33, eachof said notches being substantially of width to'permit apron 27, toslide therethrough.

As shown in Figure 3, disc .or frame 29, which is.made of anysuitable,material butpreferably resilient plastic such as polyethylene or vinylfor accommodating differences in. spout diameters, is applicable overthe .upper portion of spout wall 28a and is based. on the upperhorizontal portion of shoulder 18 thereof for swivellable engagementtherewith. Frame 29 is further capable. of removability when desiredfrom the spout wall 2811 by anflupward pull necessaryto compress thesaid spout wa As best shown in Fig. 2, rod 28 ,is removably insertableby lateral linear motion into the aligned openings 32 of lugs 31 whilenotches 33 permit clearance for linear movement of apron 27therethrough. Lugs 31 permit the closuremember .at rodZS .to be hingedfor 180 degree rotary movement adjacent to the lip of the spout wall228a foropening and closing purposes. The type of .hinging describedalso permits full withdrawal of the closure member: from'frame 29 andfurther permits the closure member at-wa'll portion 20,to lie flat onstrainer wall 1312 thereby :to prevent spillage as will hereinafterappear.

-Although frame 29 withv the closure member mounted thereon is capableof beingswivellable while the closure member is in open position,nevertheless swivelling may be accomplished with the closure member inclosed position.

As shown in, Figure 31,- it is to -beobserved that the width of 'apron27tis less than the distance between the opposing; inner walls of lugs31 to; permit rotation of rod 28 within the cylindrical openings 32 forapproximately 180 degrees as has been mentioned.

I-n applying'thestrainer cap 13a to the spout walls, it is to beobserved that cover member A of the Vessel is first; removed andthestrainer cap is snapped into positionbetween-shoulder 18 andthe innerside of spout wall 28a by being forced through opening 17. In thisoperatiomsince the diameter of opening fl is less than the diameter offlange 13e, finger pressure'isnecessary. Similarly for removablepurposes, the closure member A must be first removed from vessel 10 tosnapthe strainer out'by downward pressure against the spout wall 19.

It is to be observedbyzreferring to .-Figure 3 that'the strainer member13a when in place presents a flat surface which is sealable by,depressed central wall 20 of the closure member.

To open the closure member theunder side of finger tab '25 mayibegraspedby thethumb while the index finger bears against the central wallZt). Inthis way,-the seal between spout wall 28a and the engagingwalls of thegrooved rim of the closure'is'gradually and successively brokenin apealing oif manner and at the same time the top wall 130 of the strainerelement becomes exposed for distribution of condiment material 34. Whenthere is full disengagement, the closure member remains hingedly,rotatably and removablysecured relative to spout 12.

For removal of the-.closure-member relative to frame 29, theclosuremember is setat a-90 degree angle with respect to the horizontalplane and by lateral linear movement rod 28 is slidout of lugs 31.For-sealing purposes, the closure vmember is moved towards closedposition on rod '28 mounted inlugs 31, and the operation is mostsuitablycompleted by continuous sliding finger pressure along the topwall 23 fromthe rear forwardly.

Thushas-been described -a sealing assembly provided with a removablestrainer wherein the vessel on which the assembly cooperates may beconverted from a container for pouringliquidstoa container for holdingand for dispensing condiments oranything else in granular or powderedform. The closure for the strainer prevents spilling of the condimentcontents between the wall 20 and the perforated wall-13b when the cellaris in inoperative position.

I wish it understood that minor changes and variations in theintegration, size, shape,-material-and-location of parts may all beresorted to -.without departing from the spirit of the invention and thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a container having a removable cover provided with aneck, saidneck having an upper portion and a lower expanded portionforming a shoulder therebetween, a strainer cap-having a'perforated'topwall removably insertable in said lower expanded neck portion from theunderside of said cover,and a removable closure member having a centralwall,and an upwardly directed peripheral and inverted grooved rimengageable with the upper neck portion, the centralwall of .the closuremember being engageable with the perforated top wall of the strainercap.

2. In combination, a container having a removable coverprovidedwith ane'ck,'saidineckuhaving. an upper portion and alower expanded portionforminga' shoulder i therebetweema strainer. cap having a' perforatedtop wall I removably insertable. in said lower expanded; .neckz; portionfrom the underside ofasaid'cover; a closurexmember having a central-wallandxan upwardly directed: peripheral and inverted.groovedrim.engageablewith the-upperneck portion, 'the central wall oftheclosuremembenbeing engageable :with thezperforatedtop wallof'thestrainer l cap,.:a frame member rotatably engageable-rbetween zthe1 upper neck portion and a wall of the above mentioned shoulder,.saidclosure 1 member being wremovably .and hingedly secured to saidframe :member.

3. In: the combination as set forth -in.clairn 2 wherein theclosuremember .is formed of polyethylenetorsother substance havingsimilar physical characteristics.

-4. In the combination'as-set forth intclaim 2 wherein the containercover, the closurexmember, the neckythe therebetween, a strainer caphaving a perforatedtopwall I removably insertable in saidwlower.expanded'neck .por-

tion from the underside of said cover, a closure-member havingacentralwall andan upwardly directed peripheral and inverted'groovedrimengageablewith the upper neck portion, the central wall of 'theclosure member :being. aengageable withtheperforated top-wall ofthestrainer cap, said cover,neck, strainer cap and closure memberbeing-formed of polyethylene or. other substance having similar physicalcharacteristics.

6. In combination, a container having a removable cover provided withaflared neck said neck havinghan upper portion provided with a lowerundercut, portion, a caphaving a perforated top wall removablyinsertable in said undercut portion from the underside of said cover, aclosure member having a centralwall andan upwardly directed, peripheral.and invertedgrooved rim engageable with the upper neck portion, thecentral-wallof the closure member being engageable with theperforated-topwall of the cap.

'7.' In combination as set forth in claim '6 whereinsaid closurememberis formed of polyethylene or other'substance having similarphysical characteristics.

"8. In combination, -a container "having a'removablecover-'prov-idedwith a neck,=said-neck having an upper portion providedwith a lower undercut portion, a cap having a perforated topwallremovablyinsertable inssaid undercut portion from the underside of.said cover, a closure smember having .a central wall and .an upwardlydirected peripheralanddnverted groovedrim engageable are formedof'polyethylene or other substance having similar physicalcharacteristics.

No references 1 cited

